Trinity Christian's 'special class' about to get NFL call

Ryan O'Halloran @ryanohalloran

Sunday

Apr 22, 2018 at 2:24 PMApr 22, 2018 at 2:24 PM

Back when they were freshmen and their season ended with a 42-0 playoff loss, Trinity Christian coach Verlon Dorminey could see it. He saw the athleticism – kids who were big or fast or big and fast. He saw the potential – kids who were versatile and loved the game. And he saw the benefit of experience – the lumps of 2011 would pay off.

“You knew it was a really special class,” Dorminey said.

And they were special: Consecutive Class 3A state championships in 2013-14, a total of 12 players who signed with FBS programs and coming up this weekend, four players who could be selected in the NFL Draft.

“I’ve been here 28 years and have seen a lot of kids come through here who were really, really good athletes,” Dorminey said. “This class – they were great kids, they were fun to coach and they loved each other.”

After an 8-4 freshman year, the Conquerors went 9-2, 12-1 and 11-2. They beat Clearwater Central Catholic 34-7 in 2013 and Delray Beach American Heritage 27-7 in 2014 for state titles.

The 2014 Trinity defense in particular was dominant. Holland, Norton, Smith and Toliver all made the Times-Union’s “Super 24” team. They did not allow a tailback to gain more than 69 yards in a game. And in the state title game, American Heritage gained only 169 yards and 61 came on the final drive.

Said Smith: “I just loved everything about [Trinity Christian]. The way we worked. The mentality. And V-Man [Dorminey] is the best.”

On a recent Friday morning, V-Man welcomed a visitor to his office, which is tucked underneath the football grandstand and adjacent to the Conquerors’ locker and weight rooms. Times-Union newspaper covers of his program’s state championships lined the walls. Dorminey said he has answered the general questionnaires from NFL teams and talked by phone with members of the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins organizations.

Trinity alums Guss Scott (third round to New England in 2004), Jamie Harper (fourth round to Tennessee in 2011) and Isaiah Ford (seventh round to Miami last year) were all drafted. But this weekend could be a boon for the program.

So how did this happen? How does one high school defense send four players from the same class to NFL? Do the Conquerors run some exotic scheme?

Dorminey points to the standard set by previous classes.

“Our younger kids see how much the older kids love to come back and just give back,” he said. “That’s what makes me the most proud. You know you’ve done something right if they want come back and pass down the tradition.”

Dorminey said the Conquerors primarily play only three coverage packages (one man and two zones).

“We play a lot of man and we do bring a lot of extra pressure,” he said. “But it’s high school football, not rocket science. I do think we try and make our kids mentality tough, not just physically tough, to where if they get an opportunity to go to the next level, it’s not as hard for them.”

Dorminey discussed all four Trinity draft prospects, all of whom declared with one year of eligibility remaining:

HOLLAND: ‘INCREDIBLY QUICK’

Holland, 21, had to wait his turn at Auburn after being ranked as a four-star recruit. He had only three sacks in his first two years. But playing a hybrid linebacker/pass rusher role last year, Holland started 14 games and had 45 tackles and 10 sacks to earn first-team All-SEC honors. He was measured at 6-foot-3/249 pounds at the Combine and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds. Holland could be a fit for a 3-4 defense looking for a combo rusher/on-the-ball linebacker on Day 3 (rounds 4-7).

Dorminey: “Jeff is a kid we knew would make it because he always found a way to make it. Of all these kids, Jeff probably had the toughest road, losing his mom to cancer when he was young. … He’s incredibly quick. Of course, everybody is at that level, but he’s so athletic. He could play anywhere for us. At practice, he would jump down to offensive line. He has the early step to get by people. He will have to work hard in the weight room to get stronger in his upper body.”

NORTON: ‘REALLY ATHLETIC’

Norton, who turns 21 on June 7, was a three-star recruit. In 38 games (25 starts), he totaled 84 tackles (18 for lost yardage) and five sacks. He was 314 pounds and a shade under 6-foot-3 at the Combine, where his opening 10-yard split in the 40 was 1.78 seconds. Like Holland, Norton has a Day 3 projection.

Dorminey: “Kendrick, we really all thought he would make his mark on the offensive side and there were several college coaches that told him, ‘You’ll make a lot of money playing guard,’ but the kid wanted to play defense. Really athletic – flat-footed underneath the bucket and dunk it at 300-some pounds. He has great feet. At the time, we had a guard we dedicated as the ‘strong guard’ and we played him at the ‘strong guard’ position and he pulled 60 percent of the time. It was hard for us to take him and put him on the defensive side of the football when we knew we needed him to be fresh and play on offense because of all the pulling we had him do. A very unselfish player. A very good kid to coach.”

SMITH: ‘VERY SMART’

Smith, 20, was a one-year producer at North Carolina, which could impact his stock. He had 53 tackles in a reserve role as a freshman but 113 (second on the team) as a middle linebacker in 2016. He was limited to two games last year because of knee surgery. Smith was a three-star recruit who was born in Portsmouth, Va., and moved to Jacksonville when he was in the second grade. Smith is viewed more as a run stopper than a cover linebacker and is expected to be drafted on Day 3. Dorminey said he was surprised Smith declared for the draft considering his ’17 injury.

Dorminey: “Andre is very smart. Him being hurt has hurt him. Knowing and understanding and being able to call the game from that spot [is important] and he is put together physically. Of all the kids, he’s probably the most cerebral. Victor Alexander plays linebacker at Georgia Tech and he’s 100 mph and will run right through everything. Andre is the same way but more cerebral. He’s able to fill that gap and get after quarterbacks and scary athletic. He’s smart.”

TOLIVER: ‘PHYSICAL. CONFIDENT’

Toliver was the highest-rated of the quartet – a unanimous five-star prospect who was ESPN’s No. 1 cornerback and sixth overall player – who could never get out of the blocks after playing a big role (35 tackles/eight starts) as a freshman. He played 31 games (18 starts) for the Tigers and totaled 84 tackles and only two interceptions (16 pass break-ups). Toliver played with a torn rotator cuff as a freshman, which later forced him to miss the final four games of his sophomore year and have surgery. He was suspended for the 2017 opener against BYU. Measured at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds at the Combine. According to NFL.com, he did not run the 40 at the Combine or LSU’s Pro Day.

Dorminey: “When you think about it, the one you looked at when they were coming out of high school [as the most likely to be at this point], you would think Kevin because he’s that long corner that went to LSU and was a five-star and all that goes with that. That’s what it takes in the NFL now – you need to have corners and receivers. … Great parents. Great family. And heck yeah, he can play. He’s a physical kid and has a lot of confidence. Maybe it will click for him [in the NFL].”

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